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Ramsey County History – Fall 2013: “Remembering Heroes: The Midway Transfer Fire of 1900”

Patrick L. Shannon

Remembering Heroes: The Midway Transfer Fire of 1900 Author: Patrick L. Shannon A major fire broke out at a packing house in the Midway neighborhood of St. Paul on the night of October 21, 1900. It soon spread to nearby buildings. Eventually, four fire companies fought the blaze. When…

Ramsey County History – Summer 2013: “Fine Art Exhibits at the Minnesota State Fair, 1885–1914”

Leo J. Harris

Fine Art Exhibits at the Minnesota State Fair, 1885–1914 Author: Leo J. Harris The first Minnesota art exhibit was held in St. Paul at the 1857 territorial fair. From that year until 1884, few art exhibits were displayed at the fair, partly because the location Fair moved to different…

Ramsey County History – Winter 2012: “How Nettie Snyder Put the City on the Musical Map”

Roger Bergerson

How Nettie Snyder Put the City on the Musical Map Author: Roger Bergerson When Enrico Caruso and the stars of the New York Metropolitan Opera Company took the stage at the brand-new St. Paul Auditorium in the spring of 1907, the arias soared and so did civic pride. “The…

Ramsey County History – Summer 2011: “With Style, Grace, and Pride: The Gardens at the Minnesota Governor’s Residence”

Karine Pouliquen and Lori Schindler

With Style, Grace, and Pride: The Gardens at the Minnesota Governor’s Residence Authors: Karine Pouliquen and Lori Schindler The Summit Avenue mansion of lumber tycoon Horace and Clotilde Irvine is celebrated for its elaborate gardens. Built about 1910, the residence included one of the early twentieth-century Victorian-style gardens that…

Ramsey County History – Fall 2009: “St. Paul’s Biggest Party: The Grand Army of the Republic’s 1896 National Encampment”

Moira F. Harris and Leo J. Harris

St. Paul’s Biggest Party: The Grand Army of the Republic’s 1896 National Encampment Authors: Moira F. Harris and Leo J. Harris After the Civil War there had been annual Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) national conventions or “encampments” in many different cities. Between August 3 and September 4,…

Ramsey County History – Fall 2009: “Growing Up in St. Paul: The Mispacha on Texas Street”

Nathalie Chase

Growing Up in St. Paul: The Mispacha on Texas Street Author: Nathalie Chase Bernstein “Mishpacha” is the Hebrew word for family, and this article looks at the story of the author’s Jewish family from Lithuania. They came to St. Paul and, in the late 1890s, and started a scrap…

Ramsey County History – Spring 2009: “A 4-H Trail Blazer: Clara Oberg and the Ramsey County 4-H”

Harlan Stoehr and Helen Hammersten

A 4-H Trail Blazer: Clara Oberg and the Ramsey County 4-H  Authors: Harlan Stoehr and Helen Hammersten When Clara Oberg, who had lost her family farm, was hired by the 4-H in March 1928, there were only sixteen clubs in Ramsey County with around 200 members, but under her…

Ramsey County History – Winter 2009: “The Teen Years at Our Lady of Peace (OLP)”

Susanne Sebesta Heimbuch

Growing Up in St Paul: The Teen Years at Our Lady of Peace (OLP) Author: Susanne Sebesta Heimbuch This article focuses on memories of a schoolgirl starting in 1959. Heimbuch graduated from St. Mark’s Grade School and enrolled in Our Lady of Peace (OLP), a much larger high school…

Ramsey County History – Fall 2008: “Pith Heart & Nerve, Truman M. Smith: From Banker to Market Gardener”

Barry L. & Joan Miller Cotter

Pith Heart & Nerve, Truman M. Smith: From Banker to Market Gardener Authors: Barry L. & Joan Miller Cotter According to the authors, Truman Smith did not give up in the face of a major economic collapse in 1857; instead he showed resilience and used “pith, heart, and nerve”…